The Happy World of Haribo comes to London Designer Outlet

HARIBO, the world’s leading manufacturer of fruit gums and liquorice products, is opening its first outlet store in the UK and has chosen London Designer Outlet (LDO), the capital’s only fashion & lifestyle outlet centre, located in Wembley Park, as the best place to be.

LDO has also signed Molton Brown, Religion, Timberland, Red5, Tempur and JRC Global Buffet to take space at the 265,000sq ft retail, restaurant and leisure destination in Wembley Park.

HARIBO, the family-owned business with a 100-year history of making much-loved sweet treats that are shared and enjoyed around the world, has signed to open in a 1,440sq ft store, adjacent to Guess and Lee Wrangler.

Herwig Vennekens, managing director of HARIBO UK, said: “As a well-loved and internationally recognisable brand, our top priority is to always meet the high-quality expectations of our consumers who trust us to produce a variety of treats that are unique and loved by young and old.

“It is for this reason that LDO was chosen as the ideal location for our first outlet store in the UK. Our product range will complement the varied mix of retailers located at the centre and we know it’s a destination that our consumers will enjoy.”

The award-winning global industry-leader, which has a long and proud history in the UK, will be joined by London’s bath and beauty connoisseurs, Molton Brown, in a 775sq ft store. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the retailer will offer a range of shower gels, body lotions, candles and hand care products in a variety of bold fragrances and bright colours, all at outlet prices.

Christine Grace, Realm’s leasing director, said: “We’re delighted with the new signings for LDO. Stocked in high-end department stores and found in five-star hotels, Molton Brown represents the aspirational brands which LDO is increasingly attracting. In 2015 and 2016, LDO was ranked in the top 10 best performing outlet centres in Europe and we’re proud of the calibre of brands that the centre continually attracts.”

As one of a small number of ‘new wave’ outlets centres that blend retail, F&B, leisure and residential within an urban setting, LDO’s credentials are set to be further boosted by clothing retailer, Religion, opening in a 1,390sq ft store. Timberland, the American outdoor and footwear retailer, owned by VF Corporation, will be opening a 2,400sq ft unit. Timberland will join other VF Corporation brands, The North Face, which opened in 2014, Lee Wrangler in 2016 and Vans which opened at LDO in August this year

Red5, which has recently merged with MenKind, will offer a range of tech-focussed gifts, gadgets and geekery from its 1,010sq ft store, adding something new to the varied line-up of retailers at the centre.

Further extending the homeware offering is famous bed, pillow and accessories brand Tempur, which has taken a 1,640sq ft store offering its famous products at outlet prices.

JRC Global Buffet has also signed to open at LDO in spring 2018, further enhancing the casual dining mix, with a 14,125sq ft restaurant. Equipped with live cooking stations, the operator will offer a variety of fresh, mouth-watering dishes from all around the globe, including Indian, Japanese, Italian and British.

Expected to welcome more than 7 million guests in 2017, LDO has recently reported its 15th consecutive quarter of sales growth. Total footfall last quarter rose by +3% YoY and total revenue by +4.7% YoY. International tourists now represent some 18% of visitors to LDO, with 61% of visitors coming from within a 60-minute drive time of LDO, the largest and most densely populated catchment of any UK outlet centre.

A premium retail and leisure destination, the centre is home to Europe’s top Guess outlet store (2016 & 2017) and one of Nike’s top three outlet stores in Europe (2015-2017). LDO’s outlet stores also include the UK’s first and only Converse, together with other famous brands including Superdry, Hamleys, Nike, Kurt Geiger, Adidas, M&S and Ernest Jones. Its restaurants and coffee shops include Ping Pong, Pizza Express, Nando’s and Cabana and there is also a state of the art nine-screen Cineworld.

Located in Wembley Park, home of the MTV Europe Awards taking place this Sunday, LDO is owned by Quintain, as part of its £3bn Wembley Park mixed use development, where it is currently investing £1m a day, and managed by Realm, the UK’s largest specialist outlet operator.